Lighting fixture

ABSTRACT

A lighting fixture includes a ground stake having a channel-like cross section, a lamp socket mounted to the stake, a lamp element engaged to the socket, and a power cable connected to the socket and extending within the channel of the stake. The lamp socket has spike contacts within lamp cores which pierce the narrow edges of the power cable to provide electrical contact from the power cable conductors to the lamp element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention is lighting fixtures.

Outdoor lighting is often provided around gardens, yards, swimmingpools, etc., with a low voltage lighting system. The system generallyincludes a step down transformer for reducing the 110 AC line voltage to12 volts, a buried or surface power cable, and a number of lightingfixtures connected along the cable.

Existing fixtures typically involve one or more disadvantages. Fixturesmade of plastic or corrosive metal have a limited life in outdoor use.In addition, they are often constructed so that the power cable leavesthe ground, loops outside the fixture into one side of the lampcompartment, and then out of the other side and back to the ground. Thisconfiguration results in an aesthetically displeasing appearance due tothe very visible power cable. Moreover, lighting fixtures made out ofplastic materials must use very low wattage incandescent lamps, due totemperature limitations on the plastic material, and thus these fixturesput out very little light.

Furthermore, in some existing fixtures, electrical contact with theconductors in a rectangular cable is made by driving two sharp spikesinto the wide sides of the cable. These spikes enter the cable from thewide edges and are staggered as they enter their respective conductor.While this configuration is simple in concept, proper electrical contactoften is not made due to variations in the dimensions of the cable, andmisalignment of the cable in relation to the spikes. In addition,outdoor lighting fixtures for home use often involve many parts andfasteners making assembly by an unskilled homeowner difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to outdoor lighting fixtures which may beeasily assembled, reliably installed, and which present an aestheticappearance. To this end, a first aspect of the present inventionincludes a lamp socket mounted to a ground stake. The stake may includeprovision for receiving a power cable along its length extending to thesocket.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the lamp socket mayinclude a U-shaped passage to receive the power cable. Contact may bemade in such a passage with the conductors in the cable. The passage maybe substantially rectangular in cross section to aid in placement of thecable such that contact may be effected with the conductors from thenarrow sides of the cable.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved outdoor lighting fixture. Other and further objects andadvantages will appear hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lighting fixture of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective fragment view of the fixture of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective fragment view in part cross section of thefixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view in part section of the lamp socket of FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the lamp element illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 10 is a perspective fragment view of a second embodiment of thelighting fixture of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a section view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate alighting fixture generally designated by 10 having a ground stake 12with one end thereof pressed into the ground. The ground stake 12 has agenerally C-shaped or channel-like cross section and branches into twospaced apart mounting arms 14 and 16. A lamp socket 20 having covers 21and 23 is pivotally secured in between the arms 14 and 16. A power cable18 emerges from the ground and/or rises from the ground surface withinthe cross section of the ground stake 12, forms a loop within the lampsocket 20, and then returns to the ground within the ground stake 12.The power cord 18 may be provided with sufficient slack to allow thelamp socket 20 to pivot with respect to the ground stake 12. A spreadlight reflector assembly 24 is disposed on top of the lamp socket 20.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, a lamp element 22 includes a sleeve 50which is slideably engageable into an opening in the lamp socket 20. Thereflector assembly 24 comprises a disc-like base 30 having a keyedcutout 31. A reflector cone 33 having a polished or reflective surfaceis disposed on top of the base 30. A cylindrical transparent lens 28 ispositioned over the reflector cone 33 and is covered by a reflector cap32. The reflector assembly 24 is mounted onto the lamp element 22 viathe keyed cutout 31, such that the bulb 56 of the lamp element 22 ispositioned within the lens 28 on top of the reflector cone 33, asdescribed further hereinafter.

The lamp socket 20 is pivotally mounted between arms 14 and 16 with ascrew 60. A detent mechanism 26 is provided so that the lamp socket 20may be positioned at an angle with respect to the ground stake 12, asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to obtain a particular lighting effect.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lamp socket 20 includes semi-cylindrical firstand second lamp cores 34 and 36 which each have a rounded outer surfaceand a planer inner surface. The cores are enclosed within a housingcomprising socket covers 21 and 23. Cores 34 and 36 form a lamp holder39 having a base 35 and a neck 37. The lamp cores 34 and 36 may beidentical. Contacts 38 and 40 within each of the lamp cores 34 and 36respectively extend from the neck 37 to the base 35 of the lamp holder39.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the lamp holder 39 has a U-shapedpassage 46 in the base 35 thereof, specifically in the cores 34 and 36.The U-shaped passage 46 has a rectangular cross section dimensioned toaccommodate the power cable 18 which has a generally rectangular shape.Each of the contacts 38, 40 includes a spike 42, 43 respectively,protruding into the U-shaped passage 46. The spikes 42, 43 protrude intothe passage 46 from the narrow sides thereof. In addition, the spikesare disposed on opposite sides of the passage 46 so that the spike 42engages one of the conductors within the power cord 18, while the spike43 engages the other conductor. The contacts 38, 40 have clips 44, 45 inthe neck 37 of the lamp holder 39.

Referring once again to FIG. 4, the sleeve 50 of the lamp element 22 isdimensioned to slideably engage the neck 37 of the lamp holder 39. Thelamp element 22 includes contact pins 52, 53 extending from the sleeve50 through a boss 58 integrally joined to the sleeve 50 and into thebulb 56, to provide electrical contact therewith. A gasket 54 isdisposed in between the sleeve 50 of the lamp element 22 and the base 30of the reflector assembly 24 in order to seal the reflector assemblyfrom the environment. The contact pins 52, 53 are aligned within thesleeve 50 such that when the sleeve is engaged to the neck 37 of thelamp holder 39 the pins 52, 53 will engage the clips 44, 45 of thecontacts 38, 40, to provide electrical connection from the power cord 18to the bulb 56.

The engagement of the reflector assembly 24 onto the lamp element 22 isfurther illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7-9. With reference to FIG. 7,the base 30 of the reflector assembly 24 has a keyed cutout 31 centrallylocated thereon. Correspondingly, the boss 58 in the lamp element 22includes keys matching those on the base 30 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.The reflector assembly 24 is engaged to the lamp element 22 via theinteraction of the boss 58 and keyed cutout 31 by engaging the reflectorassembly 24 onto the lamp element 22 with sufficient force to compressthe gasket 54, so that the base 30 may completely pass over the boss 58,and then be slightly rotated to prevent release.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the lighting fixture of the invention havinga directional reflector assembly 64 for providing accent orspotlighting, with the other components of the lighting fixture beingthe same as those previously described in connection with the lightingfixture of FIG. 1. The directional reflector assembly 64 comprises anenclosure 66 (analogous to the base 30 of the reflector assembly 24)surrounding a reflector cup 70. A lens 72 covers the reflector cup 70and is sealed along its perimeter to the enclosure 66 by a gasket 74. Ashade 68 is pivotally mounted onto the enclosure 66 and may be orientedthereon as required to provide the desired lighting effect.

The lighting fixture of the present invention may be quickly andefficiently manufactured and assembled fabricating the stake, covers,and reflector assembly of stainless steel provides the instant lightingfixture with corrosion and temperature resistance. To provide electricalcontact from the power cable to the lamp element, a portion of the powercable is formed into a tight loop and is placed into the channel formedin one of the lamp cores 34 or 36. The other lamp core then covers theloop. When the cores are brought together, as shown in FIG. 6, thespikes 42, 43 are pressed into the narrow sides of the rectangular powercable and contact with the conductors therein.

Preferably, the lamp cores 34, 36 which form the lamp holder 39 areenclosed within a lamp socket housing, i.e., covers 21 and 23 which arefitted together in a manner similar to the engagement of the cores.After the lamp cores 34, 36 are engaged around the power cable 18 (withthe cores are preferably within a lamp socket housing), the lamp socketmay be installed onto the ground stake with the screw 60. The lampelement may then be slideably engaged into the lamp socket and thereflector assembly 24 or 64 may be installed onto the lamp element 22.

A primary advantage of the present lighting fixture is the simplicityand reliability of the electrical engagement of the contacts 38 and 40with the power cable within the lamp holder 39. As previously mentioned,the power cable has a generally rectangular cross section, and it hasbeen discovered that the power cable has a much closer manufacturingtolerance on the dimension across the narrow or shorter sides of therectangle, i.e., the narrow edges of the power cable are more preciselymanufactured dimension-wise than are the wider edges. The instantlighting fixture takes advantage of this discovery by driving the spikes42, 43 of the contacts into the edges of the power cable, rather thaninto the wider sides thereof. This configuration assures a reliableelectrical contact between the spike and the power cable conductors dueto the precisely dimensioned U-shaped passage 46 in the lamp cores 34,36 forming the lamp holder 39, which causes the power cable to bealigned in relation to the spikes by the more uniform and precisesurfaces of the cable.

Furthermore, by looping the power cable and driving the spikes into thenarrow edges of the cable, the lamp cores 34 and 36 may be identical. Asa result, the covers 21, 23 forming the lamp socket housing maycorrespondingly be identical. In addition, as the spread light reflectorassembly 24 and the accent or directional assembly 64 areinterchangeable on the basic lighting fixture, manufacturing costs arereduced and outdoor lighting configurations may be quickly and easilyaltered by exchanging reflector assemblies and/or changing theorientation of the lamp socket. Moreover, as the electrical connectionfrom the power cable conductor to the contact pins of the lamp elementis provided by a single (copper) conducting part, i.e. contacts 38 and40, a very low electrical resistance path is provided from the cableconductors to the bulb.

Thus, a lighting fixture is disclosed which reliably and simply provideselectrical contact between the power cable and the lamp element, whilealso providing an aesthetic appearance and low manufacturing costs.While embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that manymore modifications are possible without departing from the inventiveconcepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restrictedexcept in the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lighting fixture comprising:a lamp sockethaving a generally U-shaped passage therein of rectangular cross sectionformed by two opposing wide and two opposing narrow interior surfaces ofsaid socket; a generally rectangular power cable disposed within saidpassage; a first contact and a second contact disposed within saidsocket, said first contact including a spike protruding from one of saidnarrow sides into said passage, and said second contact including aspike protruding from the other narrow side thereof such that saidspikes engage the opposite narrow sides of said power cable to makeelectrical contact therewith; and a lamp element engaged to said socketand in electrical connection with said contacts.
 2. The lighting fixtureof claim 1 wherein said lamp socket comprises two substantiallyidentical lamp cores and means for releasably holding said lamp corestogether about said power cable.
 3. The lighting fixture of claim 2wherein said means for releasably holding is a screw passing throughsaid lamp holders.
 4. The lighting fixture of claim 2 further comprisinga lamp socket housing formed by two identical covers.
 5. A lightingfixture comprising:a ground stake having a channel-like cross sectionand a pair of spaced apart arms at one end thereof; a lamp socketpivotally mounted on said stake between said arms, said lamp socketincluding a socket housing containing a lamp holder formed of twosubstantially identical semi-cylindrical lamp cores, each core having arounded outer surface and a generally planer inner surface, a base, anda neck, with a generally U-shaped groove formed in the inner surface ofsaid base, the inner surfaces of the lamp cores aligned and alongsideeach other such that the grooves in said cores are aligned and form aU-shaped passage through said lamp holder having a rectangular crosssection; a power cable of substantially rectangular cross section havingopposing wide and narrow sides with a loop segment secured within theU-shaped passage; a contact within each core extending from said neckthereof to the groove in said base thereof, each contact having a spikeprotruding into the groove of its respective core in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the inner surface thereof, such that withsaid cores aligned to form said lamp holder, said spikes protrude intothe narrow sides of said cable to engage conductors within the cable; alamp element having contact pins slideably engageable over said neck ofsaid lamp holder, with said contact pins connectable to said contacts;and a reflector assembly releasably attachable to said lamp element.